The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-09-13
WHAT PoWpERLY SAYS.
His Readiness to Retire and Some
OF His Opinions.

SCRANTON, Pa, Sept. 12.-General Master
Workman Powderly says, respecting the re-
port that he intended to resign There
seems to be a mistake current as to the time
the terms of the general officers of the
Knights of Labor expire. We officers who
were elected at the Richmond session last
year were chosen to serve for two years, and
as consequence our successors will not be
elected for one year hence.
The origin of the rumor that intended
TO resign this year started from a statement
made by me last May L stated that was
serving my last term as General Master
Workman while addressing an audience in
Boston. A few weeks later / made the
same statement, and added that while was
elected for two years, / was quite willing
that my term OF Office should end at the COM
ing General Assembly, which convenes at
Minneapolis the first week of October next
From the rank and file Of the organiza-
ti0n not one word of complaint or fault-find-
ing has reached me, but from those who are
called advanced thinkers, learned and pro-
gressiye men, / have heard a volume of
ness. Because all of the reforms sought for
by our organization have not been gained
am charged with a lack of attention to duty
Every now and then see. statementsI that l
acted as should have, and that vet the
great majority Of the Knights of Labor be-
lieve that have done the best 1 s'knew
how" and have never acted from a dishonest
motive. Now, If this be true, and if have
made those mistakes and have not acted as
should have acted, it is only fair and Just,
from my standpoint at least, that the General
Assembly should have the privilege at the
next session of selecting a man who will
make no mistakes, and who will in all cases
act exactly as he should act. l am at any
moment not only prepared, but anxious, to
be relieved Of the duties of the position |
hold"
Mr.. Powderly had the following conversa-
tlon with the reporter on government owner
ship OF railroad and telegraph lines, a state
man has recommended:
Would you favor the purchase of Mr..
ment?"
Most emphatically, no. Iwould have the
government establish its own line and let
Mr Gould compete with it if be sees fit. |
also favor the establishment OF railway lines
under government control, East and West,
North and South"
"Do you favor the purchase of existing
lines?"
by no means. would allow them to
compete with the government lines the same
as the telegraph. and the government tele-
graph and railway would demonstrate at
what prices messages could be handled and
freight and passengers carried. They would
become the standard for the regulation of
those affairs"
would you not consider it an injustice
for the government to engage in these enter
prises without making those persons. who
have their money invested in railroad and
telegraph lines any compensation for setting
up such a ruinous rivalry?"
mot at all. Ii the government should
confscate this properly that would be quite
another thing, or II the government were a
monarchy the case would be different. The
tendency Of the present day is toward GEN.
tralization. A centralizing .of interests is
constantly going on under the name of con-
solidation. The Baltimore and Ohio Tele-
graph is passing under the control of the
Western Union. The Western Union is un-
der the control of one man. The concen-
tralization of railway interests is rapidly
approaching focus In that direction also
and the day is not far distant when the great
trunk lines connecting our Eastern and
Western cities will be under the control of
one management If not one man.
'One man controlling our telegraphs and
railways has the government at his mercy,
pooh pooh it or deny it who will. And as
that man fddles so the government must
dance. This being government for the
people, contend that the people should ex-
ercise their own right and power and not
delegate that right or power to an individ-
ual."